2024/25, Stage 2 Slytherin v Ravenclaw, Match 1

Credit to Prat Pass

With one opponent down they had a little more breathing room, one less spell to contend with. Bridget used the moment, quieter save for Astrea's erratic Wind Jinx, to cast healing on Ruby. She had taken the most hits so far, and the defensive move would be worthwhile, patching up a potential weak spot that could turn this back into an evenly numbered match. They were strongest as the three of them.

As the healing glow faded, so did the fog. They'd been doing fine in it but Bridget was happy to have it gone and a regain good view of the stage. She sized up what she'd only been able to guess at before: Cassius looking worse for wear, Ruby now looking stable. The balance had shifted, they'd regrouped, and it was time to make the most of it.

Action: Doing as strategized

This round was considerably less exciting than the previous ones. No spells came from the Ravenclaw side—perhaps they were too thrown off by the loss of their teammate—and Ruby was just healed. A rogue Ventus passed by her but she chose not to mention it—it wasn’t close enough for her to actually need to dodge, so no harm done.

Doing as strategized

Middle of 2024-2025 Year

Interactions: @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood @Damion White Mentions: n/a

A round of inaction was unlike Cassius who normally was on top of things. It was no matter, however, as the duel went on and neither he nor Damion were negatively impacted. Now that he gathered himself, he was gearing up to continue the duel and see to its conclusion. They were hurt but still standing.

With wand at the ready, Cassius prepared for whatever was next.

Action:
As strategized.

Demoralized by the loss of one teammate and Slytherin's newly restored visibility, or perhaps simply biding their time to strike decisively, Ravenclaw seemed to spurn any concept of offence for the Vipers to commit themselves against. As her teammates drew inward to heal their most affected member, Astrea sought to briefly exploit their temporary stalemate.

Yet as she drew up the familiar incantation for the wind jinx, it was clear that her dishonorable ambition would be her undoing. Struck not by Ravenclaw's defence but by her own magic's outrage, the typical electric buzz of gathered power lit fiercely with brief rebellion. A gust of wind flung forth, will-emboldened, not towards its intended target but instead against her own side of the duelling piste. Her magic's poor attempt to control her met little material success, yet Astrea found herself appropriately humbled nonetheless. Had she and Ruby been in each other's position, lacking in the other's merciful allowance, any oversights would not have been met so gracefully. Unhelpfully goaded by their moderator's commentary, Astrea withdrew from the offensive line with little wish to be considered crooked. The internal warning was clear, even as her magic soothed itself-- There was little obvious benefit in targetting their young opponents without public support from her teammates. In navigating power, countering backlash meant legitimate applications of destruction-- a feat that Astrea knew well enough to be reminded of and yet one to take advantage of in coming moments. She adjusted her wand grip decisively, all too ready to silence their baying audience and unbothered underclassmen with steadfast resolve.

Action: Doing as strategised.

Round 5

After that moment of peace, the storm finally fronted: like an eye of the hurricane being the pause, now came the punishment for the hesitation, that moment of delay that let Slytherin have just a moment of breathing room to bring the pain.

Firecrackers from two of the three Slytherins spat across the stage towards Damion, crackling as they blasted against him and then splattered to Cassius, who had sent a split-tongued gout of his own towards the aggressors. While Cassius' only impact had been a lingering sting against Ruby, a mark that not only singed but left a bite of Rougarou insult in the form of a deep gash on her upper arm on its impact that would bleed for quite a bit if it wasn't bandaged, the firecrackers from Astrea and Ruby not only blinded both remaining Ravenclaws (a blinding further assisted by Bridget as a black strip of silk tangled itself around Damion's eyes) but knocked Cassius out cold.

"Hold it again! Protego!" Piérre declared, throwing up a shielding charm just in case further barrage came for him while he rushed up on the stage to collect Cassius' unconscious form and levitate it to the side like he had with Aida. Ravenclaw was still putting up a good fight, but by this point things were not looking hopeful.

He chewed his lip. He was sensing that if something didn't turn around quickly--and soon--that the match would be over. "Well that's the half-time. We've got a few minutes left, make them count! Begin!"

Information

1. You have 96 hours from this post's timestamp to owl your moves to me (Piérre Marchonné) and to make your 50+ word post.
2. Do not hint at your move in your post, as this can give an advantage to the other team.
3. Remember to send your move and make your post before the deadline. If either of these are not completed in time, your move will be void.
4. I will try to moderate early if all actions and posts are in before the deadline. If you do not wish for me to do this, please owl me.
5. Your stats, abilities, and spells are considered locked for this duel. If any are added to your trunk since 25 January 2025, they may not be used.
6. If you have any questions or feedback regarding this match, please feel free to owl or DM me.
7. Handy links: Duelling Rules, Duelling Spells, and the most recent patch.
8. Good luck and happy duelling!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!

Credit to Prat Pass

The advantage of having teammates, of there still being three of them, was the coordination. Cassius was on his last legs and Astrea and Ruby were incanting aggressive, chaotic spells, jinxes that bounced around so much they were difficult to avoid, so she shifted her attention to Damion. He might be their sole opponent soon--and moments later, he was, Pierre calling for another stop--so it would be useful to make things even harder to come back from by himself. A blindfold should do the trick, more intense than the fog that once again swirled around her. She twisted away from Cassius' last Cracker Jinx, and when the sparks cleared it was three on one.

Action: Doing as strategized

It was nice to be without the fog; it was much better to actually see the opponents she was aiming at without her vision being obstructed. More Wizard Crackers flew everywhere, coming from both sides. Thankfully, those from Astrea and Ruby’s spells hit both of the Ravenclaws, while their opponent’s only caught Ruby slightly. She was so focused on casting that it wasn’t until after the Ravenclaw fell that she finally noticed the pain on her upper arm, grimacing slightly.

Doing as strategized

For all of Ravenclaw’s rumoured cleverness, it was evident that luck was on Slytherin’s side this duel. Strategy-bound, the senior Vipers had long realized a functioning exploit and were not below using it. Within seconds, the piste once more burst into a truthful barrage of wizarding crackers, so deafening and plenty in their existence that Astrea herself felt near-singed by their peripheral heat— if not for Ravenclaw’s numerical disadvantage, their duel’s firecracker count could lighten any dark night.

As one of her teammates struck out with a clever Obscuro to further salt the wound of loss, the thinning smoke once more spread and coalesced into another cast of Nebulus upon their hindered vision. Yet even this gambit could not obscure the fall and subsequent removal of yet another Ravenclaw duellist. For Astrea’s discerning eye and the faintest shimmer of magical protection dashing forward to save an unconscious duellist from further attack, there existed no sweeter of an aftermath. With but one opponent to defend himself against a trio’s worth of good health— two of which obscured by Ravenclaw’s own strategy— the impending time limit forced their willing hands towards the very face of championed danger itself.

Action: Doing as strategised.

Round 6

While Damion seemed unsure of what to do with the black blindfold covering his eyes, the other three snakes took advantage of the moment and launched an all-out assault. Two Confringos from Bridget and Astrea blasted the ground beneath the crippled Ravenclaw with a bone-shattering encore of fire and splinters that tore deep and ruthlessly into any exposed skin. A final blow from Ruby in the form of a white bolt of a Knockback Jinx served as a final stagger, but despite everything that he had suffered in that round alone, Damion was still standing. He was tough, rivalling the bulkiness of the recently-graduated Dmitri, though evidently there were still large shoes to fill when it came to the repertoire of the graduated Slytherin on the piste and the replacements that were coming up from all sides of the underbrush.

Piérre furrowed his eyebrow. It wasn't like Damion was completely unresponsive like that other girl that he had overseen the duel of. He was obviously moving and trying to make ready, but perhaps it was something that could be described more as that he wasn't sure of what to do in his situation.

And to be honest, Piérre didn't blame him. The situation looked rather bleak.

Even though his breath was held, he was glancing back and forth between the Slytherins and the remaining battered Ravenclaw with a look that was akin to expectance. Was the duel really going to be held out much longer just for the sake of the amusement that raining sheer brutality on an opponent offered? It was not a pleasant sight, something that spoke darkly to the nature of the natural world itself--a game of suffering and survival.

All he could do was cross his arms and watch. There really wasn't anything he could do if Ravenclaw simply chose not to surrender and Slytherin decided to play their advantage to the fullest.

This was the very reason he had quit dueling.

Information

1. You have 96 hours from this post's timestamp to owl your moves to me (Piérre Marchonné) and to make your 50+ word post.
2. Do not hint at your move in your post, as this can give an advantage to the other team.
3. Remember to send your move and make your post before the deadline. If either of these are not completed in time, your move will be void.
4. I will try to moderate early if all actions and posts are in before the deadline. If you do not wish for me to do this, please owl me.
5. Your stats, abilities, and spells are considered locked for this duel. If any are added to your trunk since 25 January 2025, they may not be used.
6. If you have any questions or feedback regarding this match, please feel free to owl or DM me.
7. Handy links: Duelling Rules, Duelling Spells, and the most recent patch.
8. Good luck and happy duelling!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!